Chapter 54
Tucked firmly in Mineo's arms, Erina's face remained as red as fresh watermelon juice. Her body was stiff, and the normally proud Young Mistress kept her head ducked low, not daring to look at her surroundings.
Alice walked behind them, muttering something incomprehensible with a distinct tone of jealousy. Fortunately, her voice was low enough that Erina couldn't hear it. If she had, the Young Mistress likely would have died of embarrassment on the spot.
Thanks to Mineo's magically enhanced physique, the weight of a single girl felt like almost nothing to him. He made rapid progress down the mountain, and about forty to fifty minutes later, the trio arrived back at the restaurant.
Seeing Erina in Mineo's arms, the female driver-assistant—who had been leaning against the car lost in thought—rushed over with a panicked expression.
"Miss! You... what happened?!"
"Erina sprained her ankle on the way down, so I carried her," Mineo explained calmly. "Don't worry, I have some special medicine inside. I'll apply it in just a moment."
Hearing his explanation, the driver's tension eased. Mineo then carried Erina through the doors and straight up to the second floor. After laying her down on the large bed in the guest room, he looked at her.
"I'm going to get the medicine now. Erina, wait for me a moment."
He returned shortly from his own room with the special remedy. This medicine was actually an essence extracted from an ingredient called the "Cactus Doctor," which had been sent to him by Toriko. Given the miraculous properties of such a high-tier ingredient, treating muscle and bone injuries was trivial. Mineo wasn't worried about her recovery in the slightest.
Seeing the glass bottle in his hand, Alice tilted her head curiously.
"Mineo-kun, is that the special medicine? It looks a bit strange. Does it really work that well?"
"Yeah, the effect is amazing. You'll see results immediately. This is a precious heirloom passed down in my family; there's only a little left, so I have to use it sparingly."
Uncapping the bottle, Mineo looked at Erina.
"Move your leg over here. I'm going to apply it."
"..."
Erina bit her lower lip, her body instinctively tensing up. However, she found herself moving as he asked. She slowly lifted her slender, injured leg and rested her ankle on a pillow Alice had brought over.
She watched as Mineo poured a bit of the liquid from the bottle and began to spread it over her swollen ankle.
Erina assumed the procedure would end there, but to her shock, her small, dainty foot was once again enveloped by Mineo's hand.
"Mineo-kun, you..."
"Don't get nervous, Erina. After applying the medicine, it needs to be rubbed in evenly and massaged continuously so it absorbs faster into the skin."
"I'll do the massage for you. Since we're good friends, I'll waive the medical fee this time. So, Young Mistress, you should feel a bit more grateful."
Initially, Erina's heart had softened at Mineo's gentleness and care. But his final sentence acted like a bucket of cold water, instantly killing the mood.
She stared at his face, feeling so annoyed she almost ground her teeth together. She swore to herself that if her leg wasn't injured, she would have kicked him with everything she had.
No, she would have kicked him ten times! Taking advantage of her so blatantly and then having the gall to talk about "waiving the fee" so shamelessly!
As the green medicinal liquid sank into the skin of her ankle, a cool, incredibly soothing sensation began to spread.
However, watching Mineo's hands—which she currently viewed as "wolf claws"—massaging her ankle back and forth made it impossible for her mind to find peace.
It was then that Erina noticed something impossible: the large swelling on her ankle was visibly shrinking right before her eyes.
Her pupils contracted in shock. Was the effect of Mineo-kun's family heirloom medicine really this fast?
As the future heir of the Nakiri family, Erina possessed a natural eye for value. She realized instantly that the liquid Mineo was using was worth an astronomical amount.
The fact that Mineo was willing to use such a precious treasure on her sent a wave of profound emotion surging through her heart once more.
Even though his words made her blood boil sometimes, seeing the sheer seriousness on his face as he carefully massaged her foot made her heart feel warm.
Is this... the feeling of 'happiness' that Grandfather always talks about?
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